powder monkey vs assistant

powder monkey and assistant both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
powder monkey	Yes	No	No	No
assistant	Yes	Yes	No	No

As nouns, assistant is a hypernym of powder monkey; that is, assistant is a word with a broader meaning than powder monkey:

powder monkey: someone who carries explosives (as from the magazine to the guns on board a warship)
assistant: a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

Other hypernyms of powder monkey include help, helper, supporter.

powder monkey (noun)	assistant (noun)
someone who carries explosives (as from the magazine to the guns on board a warship)	a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

powder monkey (adjective)	assistant (adjective)
	of or relating to a person who is subordinate to another